I believe the rapture has been expected since shortly after Jesus's death.

As it happens it's a doctrine invented in the US (or rather the Massachusetts Bay Colony, at the time) by Increase & Cotton Mather. So those who believe in it have only been expecting it since about the beginning of the 18th century.

I ,as an ordained cleric in the Universal Life Church, confer upon all members of this site a perpetual indulge for all sins from now until the end of eternity, and therefore free of taint before Gods eyes in the name of Jesus.

In case that is not want you want I do the same thing for the realm of Lucifer assuring a nice spot in Hell maybe with air conditioning and a nice red light district around you with top entertainments in Lucifers name.

There all taken care of.

For me my companion and I are going to be getting together for one hell of a lay just in case might as well go out with a smile and exhausted sweaty body in the arms of my lover.

Oh the Rapture!! Such a mindfuck. Our true purpose here is not to live in fear if any God. Yet, to break all the binding man made fears we have been led through generations to control us. We each have higher purposes. Our world is about to change, yet not in the biblical way. Our consciousness is going to become awoken and we are all going to move forward. I have seen many dates come to pass of this ' rapture". Saturday will also bring us into Sunday, and on Monday, we will all wake up and go to work. Fear, is a great weapon.

Hell, ask an Episcopalian about it & you'll get a heavy sigh. Outside the States, it's - well, let's call it a rare doctrine even among Protestant sects.

At least those familiar with it can look on it with some indulgence for the village idiot. Further east you'd get blank stares (pre-explanation) and a twirling finger at temple level (post-explanation). Ils sont fous, ces Romains!

I didn't realize the coming tribulations were going to travel around the world time zone by time zone - why would the Lord God start precisely in NZ, by the way? The fact of the dateline running in the mid-Pacific is a purely human convention.

An atheist and entrepreneur from North Hampshire, Bart Centre, is enjoying a boost in business for Eternal Earth-bound Pets, which he set up to look after the pets of those who believe they will be raptured.

He has more than 250 clients who are paying up to $135 (Ł83) to have their pets picked up and cared for after the rapture.

They would be disappointed twice, he told the Wall Street Journal. "Once because they weren't raptured and again because I don't do refunds."

Me and mine are going to see Wagner's The Valkyrie by video link to a movie theatre on Sunday, so I would be mightily miffed if the Met, and the internet, has been knocked for six by then. Plus, we would all be punished for disgracing Sunday by watching an opera involving heathen gods and heroes.

For the end of the world party i have listed a few songs that can be played

Rapture by BlondieThe End of The World As We Know It by REMLake of Fire by NirvanaRaise Me Up by WestlifeDeadman's Party by Oingo BoingoWaiting For The End of The World by Elvis Costello

I have my deck chair on the balcony and a few mates and pizza and so on ready to watch the fireworks show, but I figure it will just end up as always watching the guy over the road mow his lawn and the mates checking out the form of the ladies strolling by. Either way my Saturday night Sunday is sorted

Me and mine are going to see Wagner's The Valkyrie by video link to a movie theatre on Sunday, so I would be mightily miffed if the Met, and the internet, has been knocked for six by then. Plus, we would all be punished for disgracing Sunday by watching an opera involving heathen gods and heroes.

And it would be so much more appropriate to be watching Götterdämmerung, anyways.

I always found the idea of the Seventh Day Adventists, that God would have made it the key point of recognition to see which day of the week He is worshipped on, an amazing notion. Since 99% of Christians settled for Sunday, they must be condemned on the last day: they were one day out of sync for two thousand years! I remember reading in the Bible that "a thousand years are like one day to you, Lord" but apparently in this one, a lag of one day at the outset is all-important.